Does my child have anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are common mental health problems that usually make people feel afraid or upset in certain situations. It can happen to everyone, even to very young children. Suppose the symptoms aren’t noticed and treated. In that case, children may have trouble associating in school, with their friends, and family. They may also experience difficulties getting used to new things in life.
Read on to know the different types of anxiety disorder, its signs and symptoms, and how to properly deal with the condition.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Young kids with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) worry too much about things that are normal and happen every day.Children who suffer from GAD may find it difficult to concentrate at school. Because of GAD, a child’s thoughts are often preoccupied with worry. GAD makes it difficult for children to relax and enjoy activities, eat well, or fall asleep at night. They may miss a significant number of school days because their anxiety causes them to become ill, fearful, or exhausted.

Separation anxiety disorder (SAD).

It’s normal for a baby or a toddler to feel anxious when they’re away from their parents for the first time. But as time goes on, they get comfortable in the presence of a relative or a teacher. Moreover, they begin to feel more at ease in their school environment.

But it’s referred to as separation anxiety disorder when a child doesn’t get over being afraid of being away from a parent. Even as they get older, children with SAD worry a lot when they aren’t with their parents or at home. A child with a separation anxiety disorder may cling to family members too much, be afraid to go to school, or not want to be alone. They might have a lot of physical complaints.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is marked by an unreasonable and excessive fear of social situations. If the child is forced into something they don’t want to do, they may get upset and throw a temper tantrum. Children with this condition may be very socially awkward around strangers or a group of people, and they may cry or cling to their parents too much to show how anxious they are. The child might not want to go to school or hang out with other kids.

Panic disorder

Extreme physical symptoms such as trembling, rapid heart rate, sweating, and shortness of breath can occur during these sudden anxiety attacks. It is possible to get panic attacks at any time. Teens are more susceptible to them than children.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessions are thoughts or pictures that come up repeatedly, are invasive, and are unwelcome. Compulsions are repetitive, ritualistic actions that are difficult for a child to manage on their own. Counting, frequent hand washing, phrase repetition, and specific attention to organizing objects or personal belongings are all examples of ritualistic activities that can be observed.

Photo by way of Ekaterina Bolovtsova

Anxiety symptoms and signs: What do they mean?

A parent or teacher may notice that a child or teen is exhibiting signs of anxiety. For example, a child might cling to their parents, skip school, or weep. They may appear frightened or agitated or refuse to speak or carry out tasks. With anxiety, children and teenagers may experience symptoms that others cannot detect. As a result, they may feel apprehensive, anxious, or uneasy.

It can also have an effect on their bodies. They may feel anxious, shaky, or short of breath. They may have stomach “butterflies,” a hot face, sweaty hands, a parched tongue, or a racing heart.

The “fight or flight” response is what causes these anxiety symptoms. This is how the body usually reacts when it senses danger. It makes the body’s natural chemicals come out. These chemicals teach us how to handle a real threat. They affect the rate of your heartbeat, nerves, breathing, digestion, and muscles. This response is supposed to keep us safe. But the “fight or flight” reaction is too intense in people with anxiety disorders. It occurs even if there is no real threat.

In many cases, these symptoms and indicators are difficult to separate from other medical and psychiatric problems and regular stage development. This guide is not intended to diagnose—only a doctor or other trained professional may diagnose a child with an anxiety problem.

This list is not meant to include everything. Even if these symptoms and signs are not present, a child may have an anxiety disorder. Consult a physician or mental health specialist if you think your child has an anxiety disorder.

Ways to help your child

The first thing you should do is recognize your child’s issue so you can get more knowledge about it. 

We want our children to develop healthy coping mechanisms so that they can succeed despite the challenges they confront. Naming the issue makes solving it much more straightforward. Identifying the problem requires the expertise of a trained specialist. They may be referring to a therapist, doctor, or psychologist. 

The next step is to find a professional therapist and be with your child during all of their appointments. Therapy sessions are considered biological medicine because they don’t utilize synthetic medicines for the healing process. They use a systematic, evidence-based approach to look more deeply for the underlying causes of the child’s body’s critical imbalances. It also uses diagnostic tools to assess, find, and eliminate any barriers that have kept a child from healing.

You can also try modern approaches like neurofeedback therapy. Through measuring and reinforcing new electrical subconscious activity, the brain learns to self-regulate, which calms the nervous system. This lessens or gets rid of the symptoms. No matter how well or poorly it functions, almost any brain can be trained to work better.

By Jericho Miles